We All Want Someone To Shout For

There are many reasons to be excited about the band Radical Son. They are young, fresh, talented, and most importantly: fun to listen to. When you listen to songs like “I’m So Sick Of The 21st Century” you can’t help but see connections to older bands like Sonic Youth & The Velvet Underground. There are flashes of lo-fi garage rock that make these connections no-brainers. The lead singers vocals actually remind me a lot of Julian Casablancas of a little band that we know as the Strokes. The band sounds like they are playing so effortlessly, when in fact they are playing their instruments quite well. With all the connections to older rock, and talks about being sick of this century, you wounder if these guys were born into the wrong decade!

Radical Sons have a bright future ahead of them. They already have opened for the likes of Little Joy, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, and Be Your Own Pet. They have really, really, impressed me just on this single alone. If you like it, look out for their Throwing Knives EP, which will be limited to 300 vinyl copies (along with a digital release of course!)

I am adding Radical Sons to my bands to watch of 2009-2010

[mp3] : Radical Sons – I’m So Sick Of The 21st Century

You can stream the entire EP over at the bands myspace.

My boys recently told NME during an interview that on their forthcoming new album some parts are influenced by Black Sabbath! Alex Turner was quoted saying:

“We went to Latitude, ripped it up, wrote on our faces and eventually wrote some songs,” he said. “We spent the first day there on the most complicated riff you’ve ever heard.

“It goes round in seven-and-a-half-time. We used it in the end, it’s on an intro. It was like Black Sabbath.”

I like the sound of this. The darker sound of the Arctic Monkeys is really one of the best parts of the band. I cannot wait to hear this new fucking album!!!

They also said the album will come out before their big UK festival performances in August, which means we should get it in time before All Points West! This makes me quite the happy camper! Read the full article here.

[mp3] : Arctic Monkeys – Plastic Tramp

As I am typing this sitting on my bed in my room, I glance at my Interpol poster. I miss the days of Turn On The Bright Lights and Antics. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Our Love To Admire has a lot more going for it than critics/fans give it credit for. I am dying to hear their new album, because I believe their next album will kill. They are supposed to have a new album soon but in the meantime we will have to be content with Julian Plenti.

Julian Plenti is the pseudonym for Paul Banks, the lead singer/guitarist of Interpol’s solo project. His debut album Julian Plenti Is… Skyscraper is due August 4th. We got a song from the album to give to you guys a little taste. It is called “Fun That We Have” and it is not half bad. If anything, this project should help the band! The way I see it, this will let Paul express any ideas that wouldn’t fit with Interpol. In turn, keeping Interpol solid when they finally do start to record again.

Good stuff, grab it below:

[mp3] : Julian Plenti – Fun That We Have

Do you enjoy lo-fi rock drenched in reverb, calling out to the Jesus and Mary Chain? If this fits your taste in music, then I highly reccomend you check out the band Gliss. They hail from L.A. and released their sophmore album Devotion Implosion back in April. It has found its way back to me recently, and I have to share this gem with you. Lo-fi can really be special if done right. This is moody, but yet it also has a sense of pop. Tastes good eh?

[mp3] : Gliss – Morning Light

visit Gliss at their myspace

I just checked my inbox, and saw that I have 82 unread emails! FUCK!!!!!

However, right away one jumped out at me. It featured something about summer, and I figured it would fit my mood. Factual Fabrications was kind enough to email me, and they have introduced me to a band called Phil and the Osophers. They are no newbies, they are ready to drop their sixth album Parallelo on July 28 via Factual Fabrications, a small label from Brooklyn and California.

In the email they attatched the first single from the album “We Have All Summer”. The song has elements of surf with it’s jangly guitar riffs. The vocals are almost slacker like, giving it a perfect summer feel. I am all for this!

[mp3] : Phil and the Osophers – We Have All Summer

to find out more about Phil and the Osophers, visit them at their website or myspace. Before the release of their new album, the band will be playing a NY date with Art Brut, and the Northside Festival in New York with The Dodos. Good for them! Totally check one of those days out if you can!

What is it about Iceland that allows their natives to make such beautiful music? It seems like every artist that comes from Iceland makes some of the nicest music around today. Bang Gang is another artist who has proved this true. It is the project of Barði Jóhannsson.

Although I have just discovered Bang Gang, they are no rookies. Bang Gang has been around since 1998, with three albums released over that span. He hasn’t yet gotten the attention he deserves over here, but lets hope that in time people will come around to him.

I want to share with you a track of his latest album. The song is called “World Is Gray”, and it is a wounderful piece showcasing Barði’s stunning vocals, and ability to craft a song.

[mp3] : Bang Gang – World Is Gray

Brooklyn’s very own White Rabbits played their outstanding single “Percussion Gun” the other night on Letterman and let me just tell you they were absolutely 100% stunning. This is a performance to remember, and one that will gain them tons and tons of new fans.

Don’t believe me? Just watch it yourself. Tell me this performance doesn’t blow you away.

Regina’s new single “Laughing With” along with “Blue Lips” have really won me over. They both appear on her upcoming album “Far”.

There are really nice qualities to these songs. They grab a hold of you, and you don’t want them to let go. Regina’s voice is just special. It draws you in, you can’t help but wanna dig deeper. The arrangements are top notch. You almost feel that the songs are expanding as the track plays. Just when you think its going to get completely epic she calms it down, ending it beautifully. Heart strings getting tugged?

Then I hit repeat. These tracks are quite solid if I do say so myself.

[mp3] : Regina Spektor – Laughing With

[mp3] : Regina Spektor – Blue Lips

Regina’s new album Far is set to come out June 23rd.

Some songs just sound like they could have fit in any era. There is music in the past that is ahead of its time, and there is music that could have fit perfectly in the 50s/60s that is being made today. Cass McCombs stunning song “Dreams Come True Girl” proves the latter to be true. This song totally surprised me. It is a mix of country/americana with some folk thrown in there as well.

Cass McCombs created a delightful track that could have totally be in that high school dance scene for your favorite 50′s/60s movie. It really makes you feel great, a true indicator of a winning song.

Dreams Come True Girl makes you want to find that special someone and make her your own. I am really impressed with this track. Another worthy contender in my best songs of the year. It will be off of Cass’s new album Catacombs which is set for a July 7th release.

[mp3] : Cass McCombs – Dreams Come True Girl (Feat. Karen Black)

photo credit to : Jess Dennis

Last year I heard tons of great things about Kristian Matsson who goes under the moniker of The Tallest Man On Earth. He released his debut album Shallow Grave, and got tons of great words from critics and the indie music community. It was not until one of my friends mentioned him again to me a few months ago that I remembered to dig deeper into the album.

Well I did and it would be a travesty if I didn’t share “The Gardener” with you guys. It is a beautiful song, the is full of raw emotion. There is something about this song that makes me just think about life, and where I am at right now. This song is magic.

[mp3] : The Tallest Man On Earth – The Gardener

If you like that song, make sure to check out this really fantastic live version: